Why Your Room Wants a Small Chair

Overstuffed chairs have their place, but undersize ones have more. Tuck one in and watch guests flock over

Houzz Contributor. Becky's passion for personal, welcoming, hospitable interiors, interiors that make people want to sit down, put their feet up, and stay a while, has defined her four-decade career in interior design. She believes that hospitality, welcome, and comfort are the heart and purpose of interior design, and that YOUR home should tell YOUR story. For ideas on an hospitable, welcoming lifestyle, check out her FB page.....Becky Dietrich, LIfestyle and Interior design.
If you want a lovely evening in front of a fire with a glass of wine and a good book, fine her book "Place Le Coop; a Story of City Folk. Country Life, and Chickens", on Amazon. On a more serious note, her book, "Not What I Designed; the Story of an Extreme Heart Makeover" is available directly from Becky.

One of my favorite designers is Charles Faudree in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I especially appreciate how almost every room he designs includes a small-scale — sometimes even child-size — chair. For our 41st wedding anniversary this summer (I was a child bride), my husband and I bought each other just such a chair. "Wow!" you may be thinking. "Is that what I have to look forward to if I am ever married that long?"

In our defense, it is a marvelously old and quite petite Eastlake-style piece. And we bought it even though it did not seem to fit in the furnishing floor plan for our diminutive living room. No problem. I crumpled up the floor plan and tucked the chair right up next to my coffee table. And you know what? It's the chair our friends and guests invariably go to first. It's firm, it's light enough to readily move anywhere in the room, it has a straight back, it's easy to get in and out of, and it's the closest seat to the wine and hors d'oeuvres.

The lesson for me? Don't let your quarter-inch-scale floor plan have the final word. And consider that an undersize chair may be just the thing your room needs.

A small-scale chair has one wonderful advantage over the other chairs in a room: It's easy to move. It will readily go where you want it to go, when you want it to go, and it will stay there until told otherwise. (If only children and pets were so amenable ... )

The curvilinear lines of this chair give variety to the room, along with its being an extra seat when needed. It can snuggle up to the coffee table, recede back against the TV wall or sit next to the chest. Versatility, your name is small chair.

A small chair does not always have to be part of the seating area. It can act as an accessory, filling what would otherwise be a bare wall or an empty corner. And, like this one, it can add interest, texture and color. The juxtaposition of the animal print against the patterned chest is genius, as is the very large-scale foliage against the very small-scale chair.

What is better than one small chair in a room? A pair of them. In this living area, they are the wonderfully "other" element: classic rather than contemporary, patterned rather than solid, small rather than large. The space could just as easily have accommodated a large, overstuffed chair, but these offer so much more.

This pair of small chairs draws your eye to the fireplace and invites you to sit down and stay warm. I have done enough floor plans to suspect that the designer might have worried that they would cramp the space. But as they are stylistically similar to the sofas and in a soft, complementary color, they work well visually and provide a thoughtful seating alternative.

Honestly, "thoughtful seating alternative" is why I am such a champion of the small-scale chair. I cannot tell you how many times I have listened to older clients complain that they are unable to sit comfortably in their own homes, and even less so in the homes of their grown children. Most upholstered furniture these days is too deep, too squishy and simply too difficult to get out of for mature adults.

In this living room, seniors will fight over who gets to sit in the little black chair. And when you see the design impact that chair has on the room, you have double the reason to indulge.

Don't get me wrong; the petite perch is not just for the older among us. Placing a child-size chair in your adult room makes a wonderful statement to the children in your life. It says, "I want you to be with us. I want you to come in and join the conversation."

Of course, there are occasions where the company of children is not appropriate. But even then, the chair conveys a lot about your feelings about family.

Often when a child is not occupying a chair like this, smaller adults will gravitate to it, as they tend to find conventional upholstered furniture too deep.

Pets, too, appreciate the small chair. If you ever peruse Charles Faudree's interiors, you will see his pet spaniels sprawled over every available seat. They seem to move from room to room with the photographer and pose as if they were the sole reason for the existence of that piece. And they might well be.

You can happily use two small chairs that are not a matched pair, as has been done so well in this room. Because the chairs are different (but similar in scale), the room has a natural, it-just-sort-of-happened look that feels immediately comfortable and welcoming.

OK, I absolutely adore this room. Even though I tend to be a riot-of-color person, and the palette here is neutral and monochromatic, it is nonetheless stunning. Personal. Inviting. That is due, in no small part, to the tiny chair pulled up to the coffee table. Its scale, its shape, its undeniable appeal add a master's touch to the design of this room.

On occasion a small chair will be used solely because it belongs to your family history, or because you found it and loved it. With its straight back and short seat, this little black chair may not be comfortable enough for book reading or lounging in front of the TV, but it's just right for conversation and cocktails. In addition, it adds a wonderful tease of story and makes you wonder where and why. And that's reason enough to add one like it to your room.

Bedrooms are the perfect place for that small chair you fell in love with. After all, where else is your partner going to throw his or her clothes? Because traffic patterns are less critical in a bedroom, the chair can be placed in a very tight space and still function beautifully.

And don't forget your patio or garden! An old French metal chair like this one can live happily outside as a planter until you find just the right home for it indoors.

Consider multipurpose chairs like these bantam-size Louies. They sit demurely against the wall flanking the entry chest, but can be moved in a heartbeat into the dining room or living room when extra seating is needed. Great look, great function.

Here it is: our anniversary Eastlake chair. We found it at a secondhand store, piled with junk and with its fabric falling off. No problem; we loved it. We reupholstered it using a budget remnant from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft. It cozies right up to my coffee table when it's not needed, preening. But move it a few inches away, and I cannot get people to stay out of it. When I inquire anxiously if they are comfortable, they wave their wineglasses at me and mumble through full mouths that they're just fine.

I love the story of your anniversary gift, as a chair-lover myself I think it's such a lovely idea. It reminded me of a dear friend of mine who is obsessed with hand-crafted Windsor chairs. Her now-husband gave her one instead of a ring when he asked her to marry him and she knew he was the perfect man for her.

From what I have observed, guests sometimes are not sure where on the sofa the host(s) are going to sit so they gravitate towards a chair. This absolves them from having to make a decision or a possible faux pas.

We have an Eastlake chair too! We were vehemently encouraged to take things from my husband's grandmother's home, and he raised an eyebrow when I said we would definitely be bringing home the little chair with the lurid orange upholstery. What I saw was a jewel-tone velvet (I find rooms tend to need more color, and I already had plans for velvet couch pillows in other jewel tones), lovely Eastlake carvings, and original stain, varnish, velvet, button-tufting, and horsehair stuffing in pristine condition without a hint of age. Obviously I was going to have to have it. Once it got into our house, it discovered a spot beside the couch I hadn't even realized was empty. It didn't encroach on access to the nearby doorway (as the couch would have, if moved). It turned out to perfectly match a throw the husband brought back from a trip abroad. So I thought it was a lovely decoration. But darned if there isn't always a guest in it! I always make room for them on the cushy sofa, and they always insist on remaining in the chair.

My mother-in-law found this sweet little chair in this hippy/new age shop that was selling a lot of shabby-chic style furniture. She's had it cleaned and re-upholstered and now sits in a corner of her living room - it looks delightful, but so fragile - I don't think there was ever a person to dare sit on it. I like it so much, I've made her promise she will leave it to me in her will!!

I had to chuckle at the comment about how difficult it can be extricate oneself from the clutches of over-sized, very deep furniture so presently in vogue. We recently had a 1950s channel back arm chair reupholstered and the cushion was changed from 3" foam to 5" foam (high density and firm) for that very reason! (when did we get "old"?)

We short people love a small chair! I have a pair of the Luna low back Mid-modern chairs with an ottoman that I love and they fit everyone - small to tall. When my sis-in-law was giving up a pair of small club chairs because my brother is to big for them, I found a space for one in the den and one in the bedroom - they were too sweet to pass up!
I could never buy chairs or couches without testing out the size first because most are way too deep to be comfortable. I usually either have to perch on the edge, fearing falling back and being swallowed up or take off my shoes and tuck my legs under, which seems too relaxed when a guest somebody's home. I am currently hanging on to a couch that I inherited from my mom because I can sit in it with my feet on the floor.

the marvelous thing about a small chair when you entertain is that people can comfortably sit for a bit (and get off of their killer shoes!) and not have to worry about their exit. when you are on a sofa/divan even ottoman you're always going to have someone next to you....who may be boring as hell! and you have to strategize an exit. chairs offer relief to guests without presenting a social trap.

Loved. Loved, loved this article! And I'm a big fan of the small chair. Over the past ten years, I've managed to find two fantastic chairs at a dump of a "thrift shop" in my area. They both hold court in the master bedroom until we need them elsewhere in the house for parties.

I love chairs! My husband just shakes his head every time I come home with a new one. Often the shape of a vintage chair just speaks to me. I start imagining how it would look in this fabric, or that print. Also, quite often, accent or slipper chairs don't require much fabric to change the look. Now I can splurge, occasionally, on a higher priced fabric. LOL. Just don't tell my husband....

I always thought it was a shame that my folks seemed to always place the back of the sofa to the large viewing window. Until 1968 all the chairs were huge recliners. Then, for some unknown reason my folks change everything. I came home to discover a lower back and lighter colored sofa against the wall so that it looked out at the wonderful vineyard across the road with a back drop of the San Andres Mountains in the distance. There were two turquoise leather bucket chairs just on either side of the window. Their shape and color seemed to expand and invite the view into the room. Best of all, they were small. Being short I loved them! It was a very modern room and I remember every detail fondly.

I agree with the idea of the small chair! It makes perfect sense in regard to offering another alternative to slumping into the oversized sofas, etc. I am in the "small table" club. I amADDICTED to very small, portable tables that slip easily into a corner, next to my recliner and would sit nicely next to that "small chair". I have two in my living room, one next to the bed, one in the sewing room. I gravitate to these at flea markets and resale shops. Hooray for the "smalls"!

Thank you! I bought two accent chairs last year because I loved the pattern and color, and because they were on sale! I realized after getting them home they were much smaller than my other pieces, and that they were much better off staying as a pair by the fireplace. I love them, but wondered if I'd broken some design rule by mixing them with my bigger pieces. I feel more comfortable moving them around now, after reading your article!

Just loved everything about this ideabook - including the comments from Houzz readers! Favorite = "A small chair is perfect for heavily-pregnant guests - who wouldn't dream of settling into a deep sofa unless she was planning to stay the night." Very funny, Wharfside!

Here is one of our most requested/used small chairs - in fact, we recentlly did a blog post specifically about it. Although used mainly at the dining table it finds itself in all other situations as well - corner bedroom chair, next to the fireplace, flanking sofas, settees, etc., etc., etc.

My husband and I are both tall, but not all of our friends are tall. We've talked about adding small chairs to the great room as we want all of our guests to be comfortable. Our dilemma has been where to put them in a room with such a high ceiling. I was happy to see all the places to sneak a small chair in a room. Thanks!

Great article! In our living room I have a pair of Hepplewhite chairs with a more contemporary checked fabric. They sit in front of the two front-facing windows and the delicate tracery of the backs doesn't obscure the view and looks nice from the outside. They can be puled up to the conversation area when we have bigger gatherings. In the very small living room of our log cabin, I placed next to the fireplace the diminutive Windsor rocker that had belonged to my tiny mother-in-law and in which she had always sat. Not much room on the floor plan, but it adds so much to the room and the grandchildren love it.

i'm currently stripping and refinishing three occasional chairs. two of which will be our new kitchen seating. the two leather covered cost only 10$ and the third was 2$.. yes, two dollars! all three of them are heavy and old and made very well :) i'm using the same stain on all three: MW Red Mahogany #225. Selected and ordered the leather from our upholsterer, it's a burgundy brown. My wish is for these chairs to fade away as our kitchen is rather small.... floors are old brick, so i think it'll work. here's the pic i took of 2 chairs in their orig leather covering for upholsterer (again... they were TEN DOLLARS each!)

I love your comment that the guest wave their wineglass and mumble through crumbs...what a great visual! I'll be on the look out at thrift shops for a small chair with lovely bones to reupholster. thanks for the inspiration.

Now I know what I need---between being Hobbit small in an Ent sized world I have a hard time sitting on and getting into and out of a soft chair or couch.

In fact after a recent hospital stay I forgot to load up our recliner with pillows to raise the seat level and when it was bedtime--I could NOT get out! Had to be helped gingerly up by husband and two adult kids. And when I go to our sons house they nicely have a plain Windsor kitchen chair that follows me around as they have raised kitchen island and dining room tables-with HIGH chairs and stools--when did THAT become a fad????----

Lots of people tho take offense that you don't WANT to sit on their carefully chosen lovely upholstered items---they think this must be the ultimate in comfort---and I feel so bad telling them I CAN'T sit on something like that!

Now to find a small livingroom worthy chair (instead of dragging something in from the kitchen!) and moving the other soft chairs around for ME!!!!!!!!

Thank you---I might just be able to actually SIT in our living room again without having some one have to fetch something for me to sit on!

Funny how someone ELSE saying something will solidify what you knew all along----

"Sometimes you get shown the light/ In the strangest of places if you look at it right"

Ah, lovely article. Ive been thinking and looking for a small chair for my living room for a long time. I saw one for sale on line and dithered about getting it. By the time I made my mind up, it had been sold. That'll teach me!

I have been wanting a bedroom chair though room is crowded. Guess time to 'un-crowd' it and find that chair. And I have sofa/love seat and been thinking since downsizing next year, get rid of sofa, keep love seat and get two nice chairs for seating in new place (not found yet).

I absolutely LOVE your chair - especially the fabric you've chosen. Pure class. I have a small lounge room and stupidly bought a (quality) leather lounge suite several years ago. It's lovely but being a firm leather, it just doesn't feel comfy. So sad. Any ideas would be welcome.
However, this room also needs a small chair and you've encouraged me to start hunting right now. Thank you.

Here is a favorite small chair that has been a part of our family for over a hundred years. It is a "youth" chair, according to my mother, purchased by her folks when their first-born, my Uncle Keno, was probably 2 years old in 1908. It was in my mother's kitchen ever since I can remember, and I had UPS pack it up and ship it to me in Alaska in 2008 after my mother died. It makes a great perch for young and old alike and is surprisingly comfortable. I'm using it now in our temporary living quarters (a garage) with a burl table for an island, but will put it in a place of honor in our new home's kitchen, along the "antique wall" we are planning. Although I enjoy my big comfy leather couch, I'd hate to have anyone watch me getting out of it after a 2 or 3 hour session sitting in it. The hundred (plus) year old youth chair makes a dandy perch!

My goodness.....I guess I underestimate the numbers of people who love Charles Faudree's work. Love this article about "little" chairs. Didn't realize until I read this that I do have at least one in every room. Their value cannot be measured. If one is never sat upon, it's presents is enough. Speaking of magazines. :).......I value mine like a treasure. Everyone who knows me, knows you don't "dog ear" or any other form of abuse, my magizines. Especially the seasonal ones. Every year, I bring out my Christmas collection. Never know what you missed the previous year. On top was Traditional Home 1993. And article and lots of pictures of Mr. Faudree's house. I say house because that year he was in temporary housing as he built ....let's see, I believe they called it his "dream home". I think Traditional Home has done a lot to bring about his fans. I'm certainally not a purest. Rather prefer a mix, to include some contempory. But I do love my transfer ware, as he does. Amazing how PLATES look as beautiful in a bedroom as a dining room.
So enjoyed everyone's comments. Sure woke up a bunch of we "pull up" chairs folks. That's what my Southern family call them. I suggest buying one and then another. You'll love them.

I have not had much time to read Houzz lately, as I am preparing to move. I have been heavily contemplating which of my sentimental favorites I will be leaving behind to move to my smaller abode. I am so very glad I read this article, because I now WILL be taking two antique dining chairs with caning that I purchased on a memorable and delightful antiquing trip 45 years ago with my precious Mom, now no longer with us.True, they are small, they are in pristine condition, and I will certainly be able to find several places and uses for them. This article literally saved them from being sold and gone from my life! I took a picture, but since I downloaded IOS 7, I've not been able to include them on Houzz. I see the dreaded X on the photo again!

Read a comment that someone is ALWAYS sitting in their small chair. Let me share why. I have found that NO one wants to sit lined up on a sofa, or even settle into a fluffy, overstuffed chair....unless....they are going to watch TV. There's a rule out there that says we need 18 inches for a passway and another that says, people should be no more than 6-8 ft. apart for conversation. Think about it. What really would work would be a circle of chairs without a dining table; instead a coffee table to put our coffee on OR our feet, depending who your guest are.

My husband and I picked these up with wedding money at a flea market 17 years ago (you can see the other tucked into a corner of the dining room). We had them reupholstered- I wouldn't choose this fabric now but I do still love the color. The caning has held up unexpectedly well- especially through two toddlers' climbings. They have been in a bedroom, a walk-in closet, a stairway landing, a different living room, and now here. I hope to have them always- particularly for all of the memories they evoke (maybe updated with another fabric?), unless one of my children wants them once they are grown.

Don't you just love re-inverting an old item. You can turn it into a one of a kind piece in your home. Here's a picture of a chair I rescued from the recycling (otherwise known as the dump). I cleaned it painted and purchased clearance outdoor cushions. This project was less than $20

You are so right. Small chairs can be so useful and artful at the same time. Just got one for my parents who moved to a retirement apartment. It would have looked out of place with their other two overstuffed chairs, but we selected a fabric in the same color and viola! It looks at home in the corner and is a snap to pull out for use.

I have had a smallish Victorian chair in my front hall for a number of years. My late mother-in-law stitched the needlepoint seat, which is part of the reason I love it. The small chest of drawers sitting next to the chair belonged to her as well. I love the scale of the chair and it is very light, which means it is easy to grab when extra seating is needed. For some reason, however, the people who seem to like to sit in the chair the most are *very* large men!

I love looking at all the little chairs... now would someone please write an article on footstools? I am looking at a little acorn footstool to place half under the coffee table in my country cottage. A child could perch on something like that, too!

Thank you. I have a small chair in both of my bedrooms and since I got new master bedroom furniture this year I have been thinking the chair in there was too small but now I can justify that it isn't and quit worrying about it.

Thank you so much for this article! You gave me an amazing lightbulb moment! Why did I never think of a small chair to add seating to my tiny living room? I saw the picture of the outdoor chair, marched myself out to my patio, nabbed one of my small iron chairs, cleaned it and placed in the living room and - voila! Perfect, especially after I popped a throw pillow on it.

Thanks to you I can squeeze one more person in and I didn't spend a dime. I also was thoroughly entertained by your article. You crack me up. :)

Shawna we have built about 30 some homes in our area, lots of different styles. Building our own home now, it is white. The ceilings are about 22 feet high and are done in tongue and groove pine painted with 4 coats of white paint. I will take photos and put them on for you to see. They are fabulous and getting great comments. If your husband likes the lodge look, he would like the stained wood. Cottage can do white painted wood.

I have a chair problem, or rather a furniture problem. In my 10x12' living room (approximate) I have a couch, ottoman (paired with a huge pillow to act as a second seat for reading against the wall), rocking chair ottoman (as a footstool for the big ottoman), bench (as coffee table), two-tiered end table, 2-drawer thing, small entertainment center thing by the door, my desk and chair, 2 stools, 2-drawer thing for my desk, and keyboard. Then in the nook is my husband's desk, our spare folding tables, and a magazine rack. I know it doesn't sound like it'll fit, so I'll put pictures. I'm not at home to take them, so you get random pictures. Ignore the Halloween caution tape and beards: they're from our little business (gamedaybeards.com), and the other picture was a quick bad-lighting shot with my phone. I shop at thrift stores all the time and often find really nice pieces, so I've been slowly upgrading my apartment for the 3+ years I've been married. It's now all nice, darkish wood in good quality instead of secondhand Walmart items found on Craigslist (with the exception of the side-of-the-road dresser missing drawers). If I had more money and room in my kitchen, I'd get some of the chairs (green and blue pictured, but I'd get purple) from DownEast Basics.

Angela Flute, I am not a pro, but I can tell you have the same storage problems I have. Before purchasing chairs I would find a chest with drawers to fit in the right corner. The table you have there looks very nice... just move it somewhere else. I do think those chairs are cute, but they have so many shapes that they will overwhelm with all your other items. I would try for a shape like your coffee table bench. If you find one in a re-sale shop you could still have it painted purple. Match the shade to pillows or painting? I think your carpet is green, love that with deep eggplant or "Royal Cape" shades! Have fun, put all extras in your bedroom for half a day, then put them back one by one. Ask yourself "Is it Beautiful? Is it Useful? Will I use it? Do I need it? Where will it fit?" Works every time! Try putting extras in under bed storage... mark date, and see if you miss them! Just another person who loves decorating. (~.~)

When we moved from a house into an RV for a few years and travelled the country, we gave away most of our furniture. When we finally bought a house to move back into, I had no sofas, but my grown children teased me unmercifully because we were able to almost fully furnish our new living room with all the occasional chairs I had either kept or bought at estate sales! I love the versatility of chairs so much that when I did buy a "sofa", I chose a two-seater with a high back and chair styling.

We bought a salesman's sample red leather Chesterfield sofa at Round Top antiques show 6 years ago. There was no negotiating on it, and we walked away several times. We finally said to each other, "we have never seen one, and may never see another, so we bought it. Every small child who enters our den spies it and makes a bee line for it. Our granddaughters sit in it when they watch Doc. McStuffin.

Teenage boys room. Large chest with mirror and his entertainment center need to go right next together. Same height and look. Looks like one long piece of furniture with mirror closest to door and T V on the backside facing his bed. I know you usually don't put big pieces together but it's kind of nice and goes wall to wall. This leaves room for his recliner and a nightstand next to the bed. Oh also a desk. This seems to be the best thought but wanted others opinion.

I have a very small, child's recliner! It's over 100 yrs old. Anyone know what I have and what the value might be? That could even be original fabric. It belonged to my dad's cousin, aka..(shudder) Aunt Dean!

Thank you so much for featuring my chair and sweet Yorkie Babies! Abby and Armani- I own Southern Chic Couture- I take old over looked furniture and REVAMP them. www.SouthernChicCouture.com -- Thank you! @Becky Dietrich

Loved your article! Great choice of photos but also loved your non-steril writing style. I admit, I often scroll through pictures, but reading the first few lines made me sip through the entire thing! Thank you for waking me up in such a pleasant manner on a Sunday morning...